1
as in grim
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
stark and forbidding mountains that the settlers knew that they would have to cross
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
the school's stark prohibition against obscene slogans on clothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
house buyers trying to imagine what those stark rooms would look like when filled with furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
a once-lush landscape rendered depressingly stark by strip-mining and deforestation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in spartan
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
monks who have committed themselves to living in stark cells and working and praying in silence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
The president’s softer tone towards China, despite no formal talks, was in stark contrast to his more combative rhetoric earlier in April.
—
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
The seminal Los Angeles rock band, whose jazz-meets-rock-meets-dark-poetry stood in such stark contrast to the bright San Francisco sound of the late '60s, is celebrating 60 years since its 1965 formation.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
And that can’t happen without reversing the business community’s stark lack of confidence in the city’s stewardship.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 2025
Recent ethics tests These principles face a stark test in the current political climate.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
The seminal Los Angeles rock band, whose jazz-meets-rock-meets-dark-poetry stood in such stark contrast to the bright San Francisco sound of the late '60s, is celebrating 60 years since its 1965 formation.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
And that can’t happen without reversing the business community’s stark lack of confidence in the city’s stewardship.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 2025
Recent ethics tests These principles face a stark test in the current political climate.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
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His grim work handling dead sheep gives the movie its title, but little time is actually spent at Stan’s job.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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One such fragment of the original George III statue, found in a swamp in Connecticut, will be part of the Museum of the City of New York’s 250th-anniversary exhibition, spotlighting the grim period between that celebratory moment and the departure of British forces in 1783.—
John Hanc,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Teams from outside England also seem to struggle with Arsenal’s sheer athleticism — certainly Real Madrid struggled to keep pace with their physical output in the quarter-final.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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The sheer volume of potential solutions in the consideration set has caused a bit of AI paralysis.—
Tim Houlne,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
The Memphis rapper began the show with dramatics, rising on a giant platform with her back to the audience as a screen behind her projected the image of a desolate street.—
John Lonsdale,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
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The food and atmosphere had people from across the city willing to venture to a desolate stretch of Bushwick.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Bowling paints with the rhythm of a gruff intellectual.—
James Russell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2025
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The actor behind the gruff but lovable Roy Kent shared a purrfectly eccentric analogy about the show's return on a recent episode of NPR's Wild Card podcast.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Will people be more open and accept that a simple, inexpensive date isn’t the sign of low effort but rather a reflection of the economy none of us asked for?—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
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Its second life on streaming has guided new viewers to the simple charms of one of the best mystery shows of all time.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Streets that typically buzzed with life were empty.—
Christina Ray Stanton,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2025
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Related article Trump was warned of empty shelves and financial turmoil from tariffs and firing Powell.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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The list includes mostly barren Antarctic islands with no imports or exports. 0:51 President Donald Trump's sweeping new set of tariffs impact friend and foe alike, but also on the list are uninhabited islands while some glaring omissions include Russia and Iran.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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